Turtle Mode

I guess family things here are a lot like family gatherings in the States.  Everyone is outside running around trying to get the food ready. Random aunts and uncles are talking in groups and the people that don't really know anyone/are introverts/feel awkward hide in a random room doing random things cause they're bored.

Take a wild guess as to which group I am in.

Yup, I am in the awkward group hiding in a random bedroom with the kiddies and my host sister's boyfriend Gustavo.

When the anniversary funeral procession came into the house grounds like a small parade with a mariachi band playing (I guess the priest forgot to show up at the church for the service. The family was freaking out.)

My host family took some Goblet of Fire thing that was billowing smoke and had the smoke blow on this flower wreath thing in the shape of a cross. My host niece Diana and I were in charge of lighting candle sticks and handing them out to everyone.

We fucked that up pretty fast. We lost the box of matches and I still don't know where they went...

We then retreated to the bedroom with hot chocolate. Gustavo, Jesus, and little Vanessa soon joined us and we all piled on the bed, bored out of our minds because there was no Wi-Fi. We ended up doing cartwheels and I tried teaching Jesus how to do a proper one. He was just starting to get the hang of it when my host mom came in and got mad at me for hiding. So, I had to go outside and help serve tables bread and coffee to everyone, much to my dismay. (my calling in life is to be a server-I swear)


I felt so stupid being the only blonde white girl in a huge group of Mexicans, asking people if they wanted more conchas in my crappy Spanish. Everyone kept looking at me and asking me where I was from. It's embarrassing all this attention I am getting. I don't know how to handle it. It makes me feel so shy. In Utah I'm just an average girl. Nothing special. But here in Mexico my blonde hair and blue eyes are seen as exotic, something alluring and desirable. I hate standing out, I just want to blend in here. I'm tempted to dye my hair brown again so I can fly under the radar.

A guy at one of the tables started trying to speak to me in English (kind of making fun of me) and I responded in kind in Spanish and basically said, "You speak English? Cool story bro." and walked away.



After I finished serving everyone, I retreated again into the bedroom only to have Diana and Gustavo laugh at me for getting roped into having to help.

BAH.

I then started chatting with my host brother who came down from Mexico City for the party and I totally forgot his name (it's Pedro by the way) and I awkwardly said, "Well Pedro. I'd vote for you."

He kinda laughed, so maybe he has seen Napoleon Dynamite? I honestly doubt it though...

-Pedro offers you his protection.

The night ended with my host dad taking me around introducing me to everyone as his Gringa Hija and kept making me quack at these two old guys. I think their nicknames are Quack Quack and the other dude's is Qui Qui? I dunno, but all I know is that when my host dad points to one and asks who he is, I say Quack Quack or Qui Qui and everyone bursts out laughing.

I  honestly have no idea what in the world is going on.

WTF Mexico.